Indexing is the mental process of determining the filing segment (or name) by which a record is to be stored and the placing or listing of items in an order that follows a particular system.
The filing segment is the name by which a record is stored and requested. In alphabetic storage, the process of indexing means determining the name that is to be used in filing. The name is usually easily recognized.
The indexing units are the various words that make up the filing segment.
The key unit is the first unit of a filing segment
The order in which units of the filing segment are considered is called the indexing order .
Coding is the act of assigning a file designation to records as they are classified. Coding is a physical act, as contrasted with indexing, which is a mental determination.
Cross-reference is a notation in a file or list showing that a records has been stored elsewhere; an entry directing attention to one or more related items. It shows the name in a form other than that used on the original record and it indicates the storage location of the original record.
Indexing rules are the written procedures that describe how the filing segments are ordered.